• Withsay

    Origin

    From Middle English withseien, from Old English wiþsecgan ("to speak against; to denounce, renounce, or deny"), corresponding to - + say. Cognate with Old Saxon witharseggian ("to object"), Low German wedderseggen ("to renounce"), German widersagen ("to renounce").

    Full definition of withsay

    Verb

    1. (transitive) To speak against someone or something, that is:
      1. (rare) To renounce, to give up
      2. To contradict or deny
        • circa 1225, Ancrene Riwle (Cleopatra C vi), 68Èœef an mon...deð swa muche mis. þet hit beo se open sunne. þet he hit ne maȝe nanesweis allunge wið seggen.
        • circa 1445 in WP Baildon, Select cases in Chancery, A.D. 1364 to 1471 (1896), 136He withseieth not the matier conteigned in the seid bille of complainte.
        • 1530, J. Palsgrave, Lesclarcissement, 783/2Sythe I have sayd it, I wyll never withsay it.
      3. To gainsay, to oppose in speech (and by extension writing)
        • '''circa 1200, Trinity College Homilies, 139Bi þo daȝes luuede herodes...his broðer wif, and binam hire him, and Seint Iohan hit wið seide.
        • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses (novel)Let the lewd with faith and fervour worship. With will will we withstand, withsay.
      4. To forbid, to refuse to allow, give, or permit
        • circa 1450, Merlin (1899), XIV 204I will in no wise with-sey that ye requere.
        • circa 1530, St. German's Dyaloge Doctoure & Student, VI f xiiiI wyll not withsaye thy desyre.
      5. To decline, to refuse to do or accept
        • circa 1225, Ancrene Riwle (Cleopatra C vi), 175Þeo...wið seggeð þe grant þer of wið an wille heorte.
        • 1402, T. Hoccleve, Letters of Cupid, 108She...So lyberal ys, she wol no wyght with-sey.
        • 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, XIII‘Sir,’ he seyde, ‘I myght nat withsey myne unclis wyll.’
        • circa 1670, ordinance in Collection of Ordinances of the Royal Household · 1327–1694 (1790), 372This is in noe wise to bee withsaid, for it is the King's honour.
        • 2000, James Farl Powers, Morte D'UrbanHe was mild to good men of God and stark beyond all bounds to those who withsaid his will.

    Derived terms

    Related terms

    Anagrams

    © Wiktionary